Topic: Making money by supplying "picks and shovels"? (Read 713 times)

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Newb Au and BTC fan OROBTC has been looking at the Mining threads, and it looks to me that mining is not profitable for newbs without huge $$$ or very specialized knowledge (I am the proud owner of about 2.5 BTC that I bought for CA$H).  So, I wonder if there might be another angle, along the lines of the "picks and shovels" sellers from the 1849 California Gold Rush.  Maybe selling things (as a middleman) like:

--  raw bulk materials, pure silver, palladium, other metals, other raw materials

--  special or commodity chips (China?, or do the mining mfrs have all this nailed down?, probably...)

--  items like very clean copper (silver) cables or wires

--  items where cost of labor is high (eg hand-made rigs, shelving, packaging)

--  clean electrical equipment for individuals building their own mining rigs, testing equipment

--  recycled metals I can source from Peru (I live in the USA but partly own an import/export company in Peru)

--  cheap (or expensive high-performance) ball bearings

--  items to upgrade personal mining rigs

Etc.  I fully understand that the BTC mining community probably have IQs up there in 150+ range (and maybe have all their supplies all scoped out), but I have a background in importing & exporting and am always looking for ways to make a buck or a BTC.  Ideas appreciated, thank you.